Gordon Food Service secures interest-free loan to support $51M expansion near Montreal

WYOMING — Distributor Gordon Food Service Inc. is beefing up its Canadian operations with an expansion project in Quebec.

The Wyoming-based foodservice distribution company plans to invest $50.8 million (Canadian) and add 35 new jobs as part of an expansion at its Boucherville distribution center, located just east of Montreal.

With the project, Gordon Food Service plans to add 95,000 square feet to the existing 200-000-square-foot distribution center, according to company spokesperson Deb Abraham. The expansion project has been underway since earlier this year, and the company expects it to wrap up by fall.

According to Abraham, the company needed to expand in Boucherville because of growth in the market.

She declined to confirm the size of the company’s financial investment.

The provincial government of Quebec is backing the company’s plans with an $8 million interest-free loan that will go to support improving its operations and to automate a portion of the distribution center’s shipping process, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Economy, Science and Innovation.

Additionally, Quebec’s Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Solidarity is providing Gordon Food Service with a $146,160 (Canadian) contribution to implement a tailored training program for new employees.

According to a statement from the agency, Gordon Food Service Canada needed to expand to meet customers’ demands after several years of strong growth.

In issuing the loan and providing the funding, Quebec officials cited the role Gordon Food Service plays in servicing the province’s growing hotel, restaurant and institutional sectors.

The privately-held Gordon Food Service has operated in Quebec since the mid 1990s after its acquisitions of the former Maple Leaf Food Service and Distal Inc. According to its website, Gordon Food Service is the largest broadline foodservice distributor in the province, and has operations serving all of Canada.

Earlier this month, Gordon Food Service also announced executive changes for its Canadian operations.

The company created a new COO role “in response to the continuing growth and evolution of the company.” Dean Noble, a 19-year veteran of GFS Canada and its current president, will transition to the role in November. Current Vice President of Canada Distribution Steve Kamstra will step into the role of president at the same time.

“Our goal is to strengthen the resources committed to operational excellence, innovation and executing our long-range strategic plan,” Gordon Food Service Board Vice Chairman Jim Gordon said in a statement. “These changes will establish a leadership structure that is built for the future and the continued growth of our business.”